Last summer, we packed up the boat and made the 49-mile trek across the Gulf Stream, from Miami to Bimini. If you?ve made the trip, you know that the trip itself is not that bad (although bad weather or inexperience can make it a miserable and dangerous adventure). However, because of heightened border security in recent years, getting home is a HUGE aggravation.

By law, boaters returning from a foreign port must call an 800 number to announce their arrival, and then they have 24 hours to report in person to a passport control officer for a face-to-face interview. The only places to go for those interviews in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are the Port of Miami-Dade and Port Everglades.

In our case, we arrived back in Miami Sunday evening around 6 PM, tired, hungry, and wet. After unloading and cleaning the boat (now 8 PM), nobody wanted to drive another hour to the Port of Miami for our interview with Homeland Security. So we reported the next morning. But that meant we had to fight Monday-morning traffic and miss a couple of hours of work. And since the kids made the trip with us, they had to miss the first part of school.

Good news!

A new program offered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection allows boaters to bypass a step in the required process to reenter the country. Recreational U.S. boaters returning home from foreign ports may no longer have to go to an immigration and customs office for a reentry interview. With the new process, boaters can complete a one-time registration with their local U.S. Customs and Border Protection office. They must present proof of citizenship or legal permanent residence and submit identifying details about their vessels. Boaters are given a personal registration number when they sign up for the Local Boater Option program.

After registering, boaters arriving from foreign ports will still have to call an 800 number to connect with passport control officers. The boaters will give their registration numbers over the phone and, in most cases, they will not have to report in person after arriving back in the United States.

To enroll in the Customs and Border Protection's Local Boater Option, set up an appointment by calling 800-432-1216 or 800-451-0393

Via [Miami Herald]

Comments:

	Posted by nhjodyciz, May-28-2007 @ 08:54 PM CDT With the way the world and our enemies are today I think this as Stupid as Stupid gets! Because someone who has enrolled is a nice guy - what keeps someone who isn't (BAD GUY) getting the #'s and simply making the phone call whenever he wants to do something bad? This is just another example of LAZY and STUPID. Plan and be a responsible American.
	Posted by bailbondsmanny, Jun-3-2007 @ 11:54 AM CDT try shrink wrap florida they just shrinked wraped my boat to go up north what a good job they did www.shrinkwrapflorida.com
	Posted by chsganga, Aug-11-2007 @ 09:46 AM CDT nhjodyciz So you honestly think a terrorist will call the number and present himself at the port? Or that they will go with their passport and boat registration apply for a local boater's number in the port of Miami? GIVE ME A BREAK! This has nothing to do with terrorism, I'm sure customs and border security have satellites, planes etc. This is just to make sure American Citizens don't have to go through the agravation, THIS WORKS GREAT FOR ME!
	Posted by ftldiver, Nov-18-2007 @ 11:53 PM CST how about just reporting to a local sheriff marine patrol as your interveiw. because a bad guy will not report to anyone anyway.
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